"I heard a rumour yesterday that I was unhappy with the new Cannondale bike. WHAT A JOKE ! The bike is just sick!"

This was the response from Mick Hannah today when I asked him how things were going. He is set for big things this year, with a new team, a number of new sponsors and the continuation of his some of his 2005 relationships.

It has come to our attention that Pinkbike users are predominately male in gender with a ratio of 99%. To correct this unbalance, our new marketing department has taken affirmative action to make Pinkbike more appealing to the feminine user. The next 6 months are going to be exciting, as Pinkbike goes back to it's roots, and gets in touch with it's questionable name, and yes, sells ponies in it's famous online store. We do not think this new look will impact male appeal because after all, pink is the new black. Happy surfing.

UTOPIA OPTICS is headed to Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California for the 2006 SEA OTTER CLASSIC! If you missed us at Interbike, drop by BOOTH #304 to check out some of our new line of casual & riding glasses, as well as the new “SLAYER” goggle!

Monster Energy-Backed Iron Horse/Mad Catz Racing Ready To Rock @ Sea Otter Classic In Monterey, Calif. Sam Hill – one of the favorites to win this year’s UCI World Cup Downhill Championship – leads the Monster assault on popular NoCal event.

Anaheim, Ca: CHUMBA Racing is pleased to announce that BooKoo Energy has joined our team for the 2006 season. BooKoo produces the strongest and best tasting energy drinks on the market today, and that is a perfect compliment to CHUMBA Racing’s emerging factory racing effort and demo tour. You can find the CHUMBA Racing/BooKoo Energy Drink Team and demo tour at all the major MTB events this year, so swing on by and meet the team, ride a CHUMBA demo bike, and power up with some BooKoo Energy Drink!

The IMBA Summit And World Mountain Bike Conference (June 20-23, 2006, in Whistler, BC) will be a premier event for trail advocates, land managers, resort and ski industry representatives, and members of the mountain bike industry. Register now and you'll save $100 per registrant. Or enroll three people and pay for two - but hurry, because Early Bird pricing offer expires March 31.

SORCE Cycling Club is hosting their third annual Mountain Bike Race Series on Saturday, April 1st at the South Surrey Bike Park. The Junkyard Dog is the first Cycling BC sanctioned points race of the 2006 season and promises to be exciting for competitors and spectators alike. The second event, My First/Next Mountain Bike Race, is designed specifically for the first time racer. Race proceeds fund SORCE Youth Cycling Programs and volunteer trailwork at the Bike Park.

Race Face Components Inc., one of North America’s leading producers of high-end mountain bike components and apparel, is proud to announce the sponsorship of the Commencal Professional Downhill and 4 Cross race team. Signed until December 2006, the Commencal race team will ride Race Face’s line of high performance Diabolus componentry.

SRAM has been busy shoppers for the past couple of years! First they purchased Sachs, which added to their drivetrain ‘bag-o-tricks”. Then they jumped to RockShox’s rescue and purchased them. This purchase gave SRAM a complete suspension department with top notch engineers. Third purchase was Avid, which added a solid line of rim and disc brakes to their artillery. And then last but not least, in 2004 they teamed up with Truvativ, which added even more “bling” and variety to their already solid componentry lineup.

This weekend, Saturday April 1st and Sunday April 2nd, is the official grand opening for Pure Cycle! Pure Cycle will be hosting a BBQ with hotdogs compliments of Sobeys (Millrise location) and a BIG SALE to celebrate -- 10% OFF PARTS & ACCESSORIES and ALL BIKES WILL BE ON SALE! Pure Cycle is located in the south end of Calgary and offers a full line of bicycles and components by Trek, Scott, Devinci, Electra and Block 8. Whether you're a die-hard rider or just learning how to ride, Pure Cycle has a full range of bikes for riders of all ages and abilities.

Still with The Collective, I have made a trip out to Alberta to set up our draw for ‘The Collective Live’. Awesome response!!! Met a ton of great people. We have some great shops on board to help us with the promotion. Do me a favour and stop by one of these shops, check out their 2006 stock, buy a bike and they will probably throw in a trip to KBC!!! SICK!!! If you don’t need a bike, you know you need something else, get it and enter to come to ‘The Collective Live’ May 31st- June 2nd.

Canada has proven to be a leading market with the MTB segment. SRAM, in an effort to increase focus and coverage, is pleased to announce that Norco will be adding RockShox aftermarket sales and service. This program will commence in spring 2006 for warranty service and follow shortly after with sales of the 2007 RockShox product line.

For 2006 Chromag is proud to announce the debut of the Stylus frameset, a production model created to offer riders a frame with the features and detail Chromag is known for, at a competitive price. Like the handbuilt-in-B.C. models, the Stylus is a highly detailed frameset featuring many of the same unique components, including machined dropouts, chainstay yoke, headtube and two-piece seattube insert system. “This is a burly all purpose frame that is created for a strong rider who wants a next-level hard-tail, but is on a limited budget” says founder and product manager Ian Ritz, “we wanted to incorporate our distinctive features into an affordable package that offers value to the rider. The Stylus is the result”. Based on the popular Gypsy model, it features a versatile geometry that is suitable for trail, dirt jump and urban terrain.

Marie Helene Premont of Rocky Mountain Business Objects took Gold in the Commonwealth Games MTB Cross Country in Melbourne, Australia on March 23. Marie is seen in these pictures in the New Canadian National Team colours. Athletes in all sports represent their country at all major Multi Sport Games such as the Commonwealth which happen each 4 years.

Kimberley BC is getting ready for that time of year when the snow starts melting and trails begin to see tires tracks on them. But why wait for spring to ride your bike? This weekend the resort is hosting the Poser Sports Downhill Derby Bike Race!!! This mass start Chinese downhill will cover the whole length of the ski hill-Top to Bottom.

Film to Feature Specialized Riders Berrecloth, Hunter, Romaniuk

Morgan Hill, CA – On the heels of their wildly successful debut project, The Collective is set to release ROAM, a new mountain bike film that depicts the travels of some of the world’s top riders as they explore new places to ride and visit some of the most notorious meccas of mountain biking. Long time sponsor and friend of The Collective, Specialized, is proud to announce worldwide distribution of ROAM through Specialized retailers and via www.specialized.com. ROAM will be available for purchase beginning May 1, 2006.

UK clothing company Gate Eight has just confirmed it's mountain bike team for 2006 is as follows: Chris Akrigg - Trials / street (of Earthed 3 fame!) Dave Wardell - Downhill / 4x Chris Smith - Freeride / Dirt Jump Ollie Fielder - Dirt jump

- Here’s Your Chance to Demo Kona’s Latest and Greatest Bikes –

If you’ve been drooling over the latest offerings in Kona’s 2006 lineup and dreaming about hopping on a CoilAir, King Supreme or Dawg Primo, dust off your planner and save the date; the 2006 Kona Demo Tour is coming to a town near you.

Have you ever imagined going down 120 meters - equivalent to a 30-story building – on a bicycle? What about doing that inside a goldmine? Well, then, prepare your emotions because that is going to happen. It is the Red Bull Challenge in the Goldmine.

For the first time, the miners’ workplace is going to stage an adventure on two wheels. The event will take place between March 24th and 26th.

Charge Bikes - a new UK based bike company has formed an 8 strong team of dirt riders in varying disciplines, who will ride their titanium and steel framed hardtail bicycles on a national and international scale. Riding dirt they have up and coming riders Garry Penman and Andrew "Ren" Rendell and veteran Neil Gibson.

Morewood Bikes USA has announced their pro-team riders for the 2006 Season who will be competing in the National Mountain Bike Series, the World Cup in Canada and other key US events. A total of 5 riders will be wearing the Morewood Factory Team colors this year and will be supported by the pit crew and team trailer.

A couple weeks back, the owners of Transition Bikes were in our neck of the woods riding their shiny new Gran Mal's with some of their team members from Washington. They were also here to deliver a few bikes to be abused (er-tested) by the Pinkbike R&D crew. After seeing what they were doing on the new machine, we were keen to get out and ride the Gran Mal ourselves.

SRAM is proud to continue their involvement with one of the world’s top mountain bike parks. Located in British Columbia, Canada, Whistler Mountain Bike Park has over 125 miles of lift-serviced trails.

Team Cove Bikes continues its tradition of national championships, world class results and freeride free-for-all with another rock-solid roster for the 2006 season.

Leading the charge is Canadian national downhill champion, Red Bull Mt. 7 Psychosis Race winner and Crankworx legend, Tyler Morland.

"The program is looking great for the season," Morland says. "The bikes, the Sram partnership and the riders have never looked stronger. This season is going to be sick."

Mountain Biking reaching new rider and industry levels

Stallion Springs, CA — Due to popular demand, Woodward West is hosting Mountain Biking Freestyle Sessions for the second year in a row. Mountain bikers of all skill levels ride and train with visiting pros on all of Woodward’s training facilities, including cutting edge dirt jumps, ramps, foam pits, and skate parks.

The funky, interactive journal of mountain culture, the Freak Radical, is back with a onetime special "Big Hair" tribute edition.

Carey "Big Hair" Bokser, the Radical's old Maestro of Marketing recently left us while shredding hard at his local ski mountain. He went out with his boots on. His passing re-ignited the passion of the Freak Radical so we're busting out an issue in his honor.

The first screenings of ROAM, a new mountain bike film from The Collective, have just been announced. The World Premiere of the film will take place in Monterey, California during the Sea Otter Classic on Friday April 7th. ROAM will then screen on Sunday April 16th in Whistler, B.C. as part of the World Ski and Snowboard Festival, at the Whistler Conference Center. A film tour will follow these initial screenings, with dates and locations to be announced soon.

What is Mace? Well for some it's an item you carry in your purse to ward off bad guys on the C-Train at night. But for others it's a small clothing company that puts riding clothes and gear on every day Joes when they hit the trails. Casual enough to wear around town and very purpose serving on the trail. Here's a small look at what Mace has in their 2006 line up:

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada (BTAC) invite bicyclists and the public to attend the official launch of the 2006 Toronto Urban Hot Spot campaign, Friday March 24, from 7-9pm. The evening will include short presentations from BTAC and the City of Toronto, refreshments, draw prizes and an inspirational slideshow by IMBA Canada’s Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner.

“When I first saw Trond Hansen, I was blown away! It was at the Austrian King of Dirt where some of the world’s best mountainbikers showed off their best tricks. He was the Underdog that came out of nowhere - actually from Norway - and he rode in the dirts really well. He stuck flips, tailwhips, 360’s and thru quite big gaps and won one of the coolest Dirt Jump contests I have ever been at. I just thought: Who the hell is that guy, he is sick!”

Tarek Rasouli mentioned after he watched Trond for the first time.

Kamloops Bike Camp and Tours and The Collective are proud to present a special showing of ‘Roam’ at KBC mountain bike facility at Little Shuswap Lake. This prize will be opened to all adults and will be May 31- June 2/06. (3 days/ 2 nights) The prize consist of accommodations, meals, riding and of coarse a special showing of ‘Roam’ at The Quaoout Lodge. Last summer, we put together 4 days of filming for Roam and now it’s time to watch and ride!!!

Come ride yer bag off with the original gangstas of North Shore Freeride. We have been pinning it for 10 years and to celebrate we are gonna show you a good time on Saturday March 18th. Sales run through to the 19th.

We've invited all your favorite local rock stars, as well as some of the key players in the local industry. Come on down and be sure to bring yer bike, we will be running free shuttle's all day, and there will be plenty of burgers and bevies for you when yer out of gas. We've got demo rigs from Brodie, Banshee, and Be-One, 2006 line-ups. Days like this don't come along very often, this is the real!!!!

Well the riding season is here! Freeridetours has been busy preparing for the upcoming season of tours, filming, and fun. Having just finished a photo shoot with renowned photographer Derek Frankowski, , and we all feel at home on our new Giant bikes. I think the team definitely feels that these are the best bikes for the job and we couldn’t be happier with our list of partners that also includes Magura, Adidas Eyewear, Raceface, Dakine, Lizard Skins, Atom Lab, Bell Helmets and some more in the works.

Pinkbike.com now has a sweet pair of riding socks with your name on them. They are made by Defeet and feature the Pinkbike Logo along the ankle cuff and "Supporting Riders Since 99" emblemed into the sole of the sock. These are top quality riding socks that'll keep your feet ventilated all day long, whether you're shuttling or ripping epic single track at alpine after a 3 hour climb.

The deity crew has been busy preparing for the upcoming season in classic deity fashion and is proud to announce the anticipated release of the 4130 CRANKSETS, 2014 HANDLEBARS, and 31.8 STEMS in their third color, GRAY!

Gamut USA is proud to announce the signing of UK rider Ben Reid, one of the fastest young riders in mountain biking. A regular contender in the UCI World Cup series, Ben is looking toward a breakout 2006 season. Many have seen Ben in Alex Rankin's 'Earthed' video series pinning it throughout the UK and Europe.

As human beings we find ourselves too many times stuck in our safe, comfortable little worlds refusing to break out of our routines in fear of the unknown. Always so easy to say “No, I can’t” and keep on going with our day to day instead of taking a chance, or even a risk to see what we really are capable of accomplishing. Currently travelling and working in Australia I had the pleasure of crossing paths with three unique individuals from France who took one persons idea and built it into reality; as well as one amazing adventure they will never forget.

OK, OK,troy lee wasn't a Jedi. He's just a cool California artist who happens to love mountain bikes, motocross, BMX supermoto, Nascar Formula 1, moto gp...you know, everything cool!

Is there anything cooler than the Troy Lee D2 helmet? Uh, yeah, the 2006 Troy lee "Open Face" helmet! Duh! With the success of the...oh crap, I forgot about the story. OK, here we go:

Ever wanted the chance to try out the great new 2006 bikes you’ve read about in a side by side comparison and not just around a bike shop parking lot?

Well, mark March 18 and 19th on your calendar for your chance to demo on Mt. Seymour’s trails, the best that Giant, Cannondale, Trek and Gary Fisher have to offer. All in one place, at the Parkgate Mall on Mt. Seymour Parkway, North Van, with free shuttles to the trails courtesy of BSP. You’ll also be able to demo the best road bikes from Giant, Trek, and Cannondale on the roads of Seymour.

Chumba Racing formally announces that Kote Driscoll will be the company's new professional female DH racer. Kote's recent race history includes a multitude of podium finishes in local downhill and NORBA downhill races. Considering she is only in the start of her pro career, her 2006 season looks extremely promising. Kote will ride the celebrated Chumba Racing F4 downhill chassis for her gravity duels, and look for her to be contending select Super D races aboard the all-new EVO frame.

Well once again Vedder Mountain in Chilliwack played host to a bunch of riders looking to have a good time. And a good time is what they got! 39 racers reached deep into their pockets for the $2 fee to race down Dilemma in a winner takes all fun race. Times were fast as the dirt was mint, but the "shot gun" finish really separated the boys from the men....

It’s that time of year again when Whistler adventure mountain bike holiday company Ticket2ridebc are looking for enthusiastic and passionate riders to work as guides this coming summer season (May – October).

T2R (Ticket2ridebc) have a unique riders’ centre located in the mtb mecca that is Whistler and provide a whole range of fully guided and catered riding holidays which include XC, All-Mountain, Freeride and Downhill options alongside their legendary backcountry floatplane and Heli-drop adventures.

2006 Yeti-FOX Racing Team mission and roster

Yeti Cycles and FOX Racing Shox have joined forces to contest the world’s top races and develop the world’s best frames and suspension components.

Team members Jared Graves, Justin Leov, Rich Houseman, Ross Milan and T.J. Sharp will compete in downhill and gated races at NORBA nationals, UCI World Cups and the Sea Otter Classic. Yeti and FOX look forward to impressive race results and exciting product evolution.

SRAM goes big in freeride! Over the last years, we have been supporting this trend. Now, with its own rookie event at the adidas Slopestyle in Saalbach, top sponsored athletes and a new freeride product line to be introduced, SRAM enhances its presence in the scene

Clay Porter's newest film-Hypnosis will be premiering in Montreal on March 10th. There will schwag draws for those in attendance. You can get your ticket at the door.

-Show us your Asphalts, the Shonkier the Better-

If you’re the kind of rider who favors handlebar tassels over aero-bars, bells over bar-ends and low rides over long travel, Kona has the contest for you. The brand spankin’ new Owners Area at KonaWorld.com is hosting the first ever ‘Make it Shonky’ contest; a monthly selection of the most out there, interesting and truly bizarre modified Kona Asphalt bikes, with a Kona Strada Merino Wool Jersey going to the owner of the very shonkiest every month for the next five months.

The Monster Energy/Iron Horse/Mad Catz racing team announced today its team for the upcoming 2006-competition season.

Diablo Freeride Park announced today that it will expand its operating calendar to include midweek operations for the majority of the 2006 mountain bike season. Diablo Freeride Park is scheduled to open May 13th with weekend and holiday operations. Starting July 1st 2006, Diablo Freeride Park will offer lift-serviced mountain bike operations 7 days per week until the Labor Day weekend ending September 4th.

Australian gravity and street rider Craig Woodhead, also known as “Woody” to many, has recently signed to represent Chumba Racing in their 2006 factory racing effort. Woody’s background in personal fitness training, street riding and competition in the UCI world cups, Norba National, and Australian Nationals gives him an extensive base that is highly regarded to in the MTB industry. Look for Woody to compete aboard his Chumba Racing F4 in select UCI, NORBA, and special events across the U.S. and Canada in the 2006 season.

Well Sunday is only 3 days away and voting ends in 2 days! That's right, the 4th annual Alberta Freeride Awards are this sunday at Canada Olympic Park. The awards will follow the winter biker cross event the will get under way at 7pm (registration held between 5:30 and 6:30pm). This is the only winter snow race, so dust off your bike and get to COP for some of the most fun you'll have all year.

Many of you aren’t into road riding, but I’m sure some of you are ‘closet’ roadies. I for one like to hit pavement every now and again – gives me my fix when I can’t hit the trails. Michael Zellmann, which is now SRAM's Road PR & Media Manager just sent me some info about SRAM's new Force professional level road componentry that was recently seen at Amgen's Tour of California. For those interested, I thought I share this small press release with you.

Another riding season is upon us! Endless Biking season begins this saturday March 4th!

Endless Biking will continue to build off the success of their first full season and will continue to offer services to a growing number of participants. With a full array of programs and services available for 2006, EB has something for Youth and Adult riders of all abilities.

Alex just dropped me a line giving me a heads up that he made a few updates to his web site. I thought I'd share this with you since he's got a few good video clips and info on what he's working on. You will need Quick Time 7 to view any of the videos. CHECK IT OUT

That's right, the Vedder Mountain "Redneck Rumble" Toonie race series has another stop this Sunday March 5th. This fun event will be run down Dilema with racing starting at noon. There will be two catagories this time, with a little something going to everyone that comes out and participates.

How many people would like to own a sweet freeride bike for practically nothing? Ok, now how many of you would like to help out a great charity in the process? That’s what I thought. Well I think we may be able to help each other out here.

George Ryan Rolls with a New Crew

BETHEL, CT USA—After a breakthrough season, dropping the jaws of the freeride world at the end of “Counterparts” DVD, George Ryan joins Aaron Chase, Mick Hannah, Chris Van Dine, Carlo Deickman and Wayne Goss on board Cannondale.